Discover 5 Best Horse Breeds for Horse Racing in our article below, where we begin by taking a look at the Thoroughbred.
Horse racing is an ancient sport that is still popular in modern times. Two or more horses race over a wide range of distances, surfaces, and obstacles. As such, different breeds excel at different types of races.
It may be the involvement of money, a matter of pride, or simply entertainment. But, the significance of a well-bred horse in horse racing is prominent. In this article, we are have compiled a list of the best horse breeds for racing.
5 Best Horse Breeds for Racing
1. Thoroughbreds
Thoroughbred horses are probably one of the most popular ones, dominating the horseracing industry. They are famous for their speed and are extremely intelligent and friendly. Originally from the United Kingdom, the bloodline of thoroughbred horses can be traced back to three sires, Byerly Turk, the Godolphin Barb, and the Darley Arabian.
Thoroughbred horses can be identified by looking at their long legs, muscular and bulky body, broad head, and height between 61 to 67 inches. They are most often found in dark bay or brown, chestnut, black, bay, or grey in colour.
2. American Quarter Horse
The Quarter horse is one of the most popular breeds of horse in America. They are known to run a whopping speed of 88 mph, making them one of the fastest breeds in the horseracing industry. First originated in colonial America 200 years ago, American Quarter Horses got their name for the distance they usually were raced which is a quarter of a mile.
The breed of these horses is usually small, short, with a healthy body and powerful hindquarters. Mostly found in chestnut, bay, palomino, grey, black, and brown colour, Quarter horses are used for a variety of reasons. This includes racing, trail riding, show jumping, and horse polo.
3. Arabian Horses
Arabian Horses originated from the Arabian Peninsula. They have now spread all over the world through trade and war. These compact horses are of the best breeds of horses in racing. Arabian horses are known for being highly intelligent, with great stamina and beauty. They have a gentle disposition and are good for training.
The weight of Arabian horses ranges from 350 kg to 600 kg with a height of 57 to 61 inches. You will typically find Arabian horses to be bay, chestnut, gray, sabino, and black in colour. They are widely used in racing, equestrian sports, parades, movies, showing purposes, and circuses. Given how beautiful these horses are, are you really surprised?
4. Standardbred Horses
Standardbred horses, also known as Trotter Pacers originate from the United States of America. Popularly used for harness racing and fasted trotting, these horses have a muscular and well-built body structure. They are also used for horse shows and pleasure riding purposes mostly in the mid-western and eastern US and southern Ontario.
The height of Standardbred horses ranges from 56 to 68 inches, and are mostly found in brown, bay, and black colours. You might also find them in chestnut, Roan, and grey colours but that is rare. Good from training and equestrian sports, Standardbred horses have good behaviour and calm temperament.
5. Appaloosa
It is easy to identify Appaloosa horses, because of their spotted color. These American horse breeds are medium-sized and have a height range from 57 to 61 inches. They weigh 450 to 500 kg and are found in different colours. It is the distinct spots that set them apart from other horse breeds.
Appaloosa horses are trained in English riding and Western riding. You will generally find them in western competitions like reining, roping, and cutting, and O-Mok-See sports such as pole bending and barrel racing. They are also popular in English disciplines like fox hunting, eventing, and show jumping.
Final Words
There are hundreds of horse breeds available all over the world. Although not fit for horseracing, these horses are capable of other things. In this article, we have listed down not only the best but the most popular breeds of horses for racing. We have also provided information on what types of competition each horse is used for. It is enough to determine which horse you want to bet on!
Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.